The Adventures of JFL
by FreezingPenguins
Summary: "When James, Fred and Louis were all eight years of age, James decided that the three of them should create a secret club. As with most things James decides, nobody disagreed." NextGen
1. Chapter 1

**The Adventures of the J.F.L.**

**Chapter 1**

When James, Fred and Louis were all eight years of age, James decided that the three of them should create a secret club. As with most things James decides, nobody disagreed.

"We'll be called J.F.L. so none of us can quit and nobody else can ever ever join," he said, and all three of them sharpened a brand new pencil to a pointy tip and signed on the line.

Of course, they needed a way to make sure nobody else was trying to sneak into their club, so they asked James' dad to help them get three special wooden emblems with the club name engraved on it. They explained it to him of course, so that he'd do as they asked.

Now adults being adults, James' dad couldn't keep it a secret. He told James' mum first, then Fred overheard them telling all the rest one night when all the family was over and the kids went to bed.

"They called us _cute_," Fred informed the boys, scandalised. James didn't speak to his dad for the whole of the next morning.

Obviously, that started off a whole new thing in the family. Lily wanted her own J.F.L. and wanted Louis to leave so she could join.

Dominique, with her new pretty purple highlights stuck her tongue out at them and called them "Just Fucking Losers". She wasn't Louis' favourite sister anymore.

Molly made them nancy little pretty club cupcakes they had to pretend to pretend to like, because they weren't supposed to like such pretty things because they were boys, but they were supposed to like them because Molly was the bestest gran ever, and they _did_ like them because they were tasty.

J.F.L. didn't have as much family support as they ought to have. In addition, they ran into their own problems.

They were only supposed to communicate secret club stuff by secret notes written with the special club pencils they sharpened on the very first day their club was created. But Fred lived in a mess, and his pencil didn't last a week. He sat about in misery for about two days because James booted him out of the club for that, because what was the use of having a secret club member you couldn't communicate with? James and Louis were sad about this for a while, then James lost his own pencil and they both decided that Fred should be allowed to join back.

J.F.L. planned for Hogwarts almost from the moment the club was formed. James had known all his life that he was a Gryffindor and nothing but Gryffindor would do for him, though Hufflepuff sounded like a lively house with lovely people. Fred wanted to bunk with James so he was lucky his surname came later. Louis never knew, because he wanted everyone to know he was smart but he wanted to be sneaky _and_ loyal _and_ brave.

"There isn't a house for greedy people you know?" Fred says. Louis fumes a little and refuses to talk to anyone who isn't Grandma Weasley for thirty minutes, until chocolate icing helps him forget to be angry.

J.F.L. suffers again when Fred calls a girl pretty. Louis was probably born to be gay, with all that girly veela DNA composing every cell of his body. Louis doesn't think girls are pretty at all - or if they are, it isn't anything worth noticing. James doesn't care if he likes girls or boys because he's too young to wonder. But girls are girly and whiny and icky and Fred shouldn't be allowed to think they're pretty.

This rift had the potential to tear the boys apart forever, but fortunately, Dominique overheard the boys' comments about girls and threatened to beat all three of them up which naturally sent them back to being allies again.

The boys' club survived all minor hardships along the way and by the time they were old enough for Hogwarts, they knew that they would be club mates forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Adventures of the J.F.L.**

**Chapter 2**

No two people act quite the same on their first time leaving King's Cross for Hogwarts.

Fred took his pet cat along. He left quite like an average kid, nervous and excited at the same time. He allowed Roxanne to give him a hug.

"In my first year," his father told him, "I sent your darling auntie Ginny a toilet seat back. I applaud school vandalism! Make me proud!"

Angelina gave George a withering look he didn't appear to notice. "He did that in his _third_ year," she sighed, rolling her eyes. She kissed him on the forehead. "Be good Fred." Of course, she didn't _actually_ expect Fred to be good. Everyone who was a Weasley knew that Freds were the inverse of good.

"I'll write back every week!" Fred promised, not quite believing he meant it.

"Of course you won't!" George said cheerfully, patting him on the shoulder, "But shall be very angry if you don't."

Now Fred thought he had pretty cool parents, but even cool parents have a tendency to strive to never make sense. Perhaps parents thought they were better parents if their children couldn't understand them? Maybe it gave them a sense of wisdom and superiority? Maybe they were just dumb?

He stood with his (dumb) family for as long as he could without feeling stupid and held Roxanne's hand.

Then, "OI FRED! TEDDY'S GONNA MEET HIS GIRLFRIEND ON THE TRAIN!"

And "I DON'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND, UGH JAMES!"

Fred winced. "Well... I'm going?" He waved goodbye and took off after James. Unwillingly.

"WE LOVE YOU!" Roxanne yelled, and he turned around long enough to grin and salute.

* * *

Ginny would have dearly loved if James had allowed them to say goodbye properly, but he refused. First he gave everyone tight hugs and insisted on some sort of family group hug and looked as though he were going to cry and refused to utter a word.

Until "I won't miss any of you!", which was more than a little offensive and made Lily tear.

"Oh you little mister," Ginny began, but James clung to be hand and squeezed so tight she didn't want to continue. He only let go to pat Lily on the head awkwardly and tell Al that he was going to be a Gryffindor some day and deliberately tread on his father's foot.

"JAMES!" Harry admonished, which only made James laugh.

Teddy cleared his throat. "This is great, but I'm going to meet Christina-"

"Your _girlfriend_,"James interrupted,

"My _friend_-"

"Girlfriend."

"_Friend_."

"Girlfriend."

"FRIEND."

"Girlfriend."

"I'm leaving now! Bye grandma, bye Harry, bye Ginny, bye Al, bye Lil-"

"TEDDY HAS A GIRLFRIEND!"

"FRIEND!"

"I'M TELLING EVERYONE! Like Fred and Louis OH where IS Fred? Bye mum, bye dad, bye auntie Andy, bye baby morons - OI FRED..."

Well Ginny gave birth to a monster, and monsters don't like to say goodbye.

* * *

Louis was half French and the youngest kid his mother had. That meant she would kiss his cheeks until they became swollen from the attention. It didn't help that Dominique was looking very impatient and Victoire was depressed (_again_) and his mum was going to cry and his dad just stood around looking _happy_ about all this.

"Maman, it's okay. I'll write back every time you write, alright? I promise. I love you oh don't cry please please please" please please grown women shouldn't be allowed to cry, eew.

She sniffed and let him go with a smile. Louis let out a relieved breath of air as his mother moved on to attack Victoire.

Dominique waved and grabbed Louis by the wrist. "We're leaving now!" And she dragged him onto the train as Louis tried to hold on to his trunk and wave goodbye to his parents at the same time.

* * *

James had an owl. He named her Teddy when he was eight just to annoy Teddy, but that didn't work out because Teddy ruined everything by feeling honoured instead. So James gave his owl a second name to annoy Al and that _did_ work because Al was really easy to annoy. Also, Teddy grew to feel annoyed by Teddy Albus anyway, because Teddy Albus like to peck his fingernails and steal his breakfast. Teddy Albus didn't stop until one day, Teddy told Teddy Albus that he hated her.

Anyway, Teddy Albus was a beautiful snowy owl and likely the most annoying one that had ever lived. James took her to school. Teddy glared at Teddy Albus on the Hogwarts Express as she stood innocently in her cage and let out a venomous hoot in his direction. Teddy thought this was unnerving.

Fred's cat, amazingly, was called Fred. "Fred, attack Teddy Albus for me," Teddy said on the train. Fred the cat stretched in response.

Teddy knocked his forehead against the window of their carriage compartment and waited for his friends to arrive. He composed his apology to them in his head, for having to put up with the most irritating first years ever.

"Where is _Christine_?" James piped.

"I bet she's pretty," Fred added.

"She's Teddy's girlfriend."

"She is not my girlfriend," Teddy said tiredly.

Fred looked confused. "She isn't?"

James sighed patiently. "No I suppose not."

Teddy sighed impatiently, slightly bewildered.

Then the door slammed open. Teddy jumped and was foolish enough to hope it would one of his tolerable friends.

Ah. No. There was Dominique with Louis is tow. Wonderful.

"Ah, Teddy. Louis is going to sit here so I won't have to drag him around with me because Vic is useless with him."

She walks off before anyone could say anything and everyone blinked after her for a few seconds.

"Hi Teddy!" Louis says nicely. Teddy quite likes Louis - he's far easier to deal with than James.

"Say Teddy, which house do you think Louis would go into?" Fred asks.

How the hell would he know.

"Yellow looks bad with my hair," Louis says sadly.

"You're doing it like that then? Blue looks nice with your hair." Teddy says helpfully.

"I would so like to be smart," Louis says.

"You would so like to be everything," Fred says.

James was strangely quiet.

"Maybe we should all bunk together?" Fred says hopefully. "James's getting sorted first and he's gonna be a Gryffindor and we could all just follow him!"

James was still quiet. "I want the hat to choose for me," Louis says.

"You guys have been talking about this for years," Teddy points out unhelpfully. Everyone ignores him. The carriage is silent for some time.

Someone slams open the door again.

"Christine!" Teddy exclaims with relief.

Christine has two piercings on her right earlobe and none on her left. She has purple and green highlights and appeared to be chewing gum.

"No, I don't think you're Teddy's girlfriend." James tells her matter-of-factly. "Hey, can I have some gum?"

Christine gives Teddy an odd glance, and faces James as she decides that maybe he deserves it more. "What about no?"

"What about yes?" James asks hopefully. She gives him a piece of gum.

"Why would I be Teddy's girlfriend?" Christine asks.

James shrugs while unwrapping his gum. "'Coz Teddy didn't say you weren't."

Teddy makes a strangled sound. Louis laughs.

"JAMES!"

"Teddy acts like my mother sometimes," James tells Christine in a mock whisper.

"Teddy looks like the motherly sort," Christine says in agreement. Teddy sighs very loudly and turns his hair navy blue from turquoise.

Louis remarks, "You look better with the turquoise."

Teddy ignores him and braces himself for the train trip from hell. The train hadn't even started moving yet, damnit!

"TEDDY IS SINGLE!" James starts to chant. It sounds like insult.

* * *

**A/N: If I hadn't ended it there, I don't know when I would have. Oops. Unfortunately this chapter is a mess.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Adventures of the J.F.L.**

**Chapter 3**

As it happened, none of the boys got sorted right where they wanted to be.

First, the Sorting Hat had the gall to tell James that he'd likely be an imitator of his father were he to be sorted to Gryffindor, that he _was_ brave enough, but "Sorry kid, I can't let you go there to be a nobody. Besides, they have such inaccessible common rooms."

And into Ravenclaw he went. Victoire clapped for him. He felt like a fool; all eleven years' worth of Hogwarts planning gone flooding down the sewage all in one humongous gush.

Dominique was in Gryffindor and everyone knew that she was the cool sister.

Victoire had some of her friends make room for him. "Hi James, it's nice not to be the only one from the family here!" She grinned. "Domi has Teddy, lucky girl, but I've got you which is probably even better."

James couldn't find it within himself to say something rude to her when she was being all nice and welcoming.

And kind of patronising. Maybe he could be rude. But then again he didn't want a howler from Auntie Fleur of all people.

"I suppose it's alright?" he said brightly. If a fat grey storm cloud trying to pretend to be a fluffy one was bright.

* * *

Fred wanted to be sorted into Ravenclaw, because James was, and told the hat so. But the hat told him he would then always be doomed to follow in James' shadow, and "Sorry kid, I can't let you go there to be a nobody. Besides, they have such inaccessible common rooms."

"Then where should I go?" Fred inquired.

"You tell me," the Hat chuckled.

"What about Ravenclaw?" Fred replied obstinately.

"Ooh stubborn! GRYFFINDOR it is then!" And the Hat went silent and Fred refused to move until it retracted its statement. But Professor Longbottom probably thought Fred was a little like himself as a child and took the hat off his head for him and directed him to the Gryffindor table. Teddy groaned.

So Fred didn't get what he wanted either.

* * *

"Hello," the hat said to Louis.

"Hello," Louis thought politely. "I wouldn't like to be in Hufflepuff if you can help it, because yellow is unflattering. I would like if you would allow me temporary residence in all three of the other houses though."

"Sorry, I can't do that. They might throw me out," the Hat said unhappily. Everyone wants to please veela boys, but they're so blonde and so very troublesome.

Louis sighed. "Then I think I'd be fine in any of the other houses. But if you sort me into either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, James or Fred might get jealous. And there is a very cute Slytherin senior sitting there. Is he a third year?"

The Hat thought. "Ah brown hair? Yes, yes. Third year, muggle-born. His name is Anthony."

"Ah indeed. Perhaps you may consider sorting me to his House?"

Louis was a Slytherin. Uncle Ron refused to acknowledge him for the next three months, and he would have rather been in three Houses. So he didn't get everything he wanted.

* * *

The boys snuck off to the Great Hall as planned at midnight, after which they all squeezed under James' invisibility cloak.

They looked unhappily at each other for some time. "Teddy is going to hate me most now, I think," Fred said carefully, glancing at James.

"I'm just kind of disappointed, y'know?" James said in one sighing breath.

Louis shrugged. "There's a pretty boy in my House but I haven't got to talk to him yet."

James looked at him incredulously. "_Veela hormones_" hissed Fred.

"I don't think Aunt Fleur is as undignified," James scoffed.

"We're still J.F.L. right?" Fred said worriedly before Louis could protest.

"Well, duh."

"For certain, Fred."

Fred grinned. "Then maybe we should carve our names somewhere again. On this wall perhaps?"

"I never learnt to carve on stone," James admitted.

"My mother had a nail trimming charm. Perhaps we could use that?" Louis suggested.

They did, because nobody had better ideas. It wasn't as effective as they'd liked; the grooves weren't very deep and Louis didn't manage to control it so well. But they grinned and scratched at their special spot on the wall.

"Maybe we should do this every year," Fred said.

Louis admired his handiwork. "Why not? We'll find a proper charm before then."

But they heard footsteps and had to shut up for some moments. Then James insisted on walking the other two back to their common rooms so they wouldn't get caught, though he privately thought it would be very useful information. He peeped jealously when he dropped Fred off, at the bold red drapings in the common room, shiny and satiny.

"But we have silk," he told himself resolutely, because be had nothing to be ashamed of, and walked himself back to his dormitory to stay up for some hours to compose his letter back home.

* * *

**A/N: I just found out my page breaks didn't stick. Apologies for the mess, I'll go back to fix my previous chapters soon. Thanks for reading! My next chapter is in the works, and I think it's better than this one.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Adventures of the J.F.L.**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Dear Mum and Dad,

I would like to tell you that I was sorted into Gryffindor and I am to continue the family legacy in being star player in a top notch, red uniformed Quidditch team; that I expect a congratulatory Lightning Wing 700 before it's actual release date because Dad has plenty of favours to call in still and I'm your best son.

This is not the case. I am very good at upsetting everyone after all, am I not?

I'm over it.

James

* * *

There were six boys in James' dorm. The important ones were Alexander, James' partner in crime, put on earth to make teachers cry, Christopher Bell, James' very average best friend, and Marcus who was weird.

Marcus took to following James like a ghost for the first thirty minutes or so of the second day of school, and that was enough for James to decide that he never wanted to speak to him again.

"James Potter! You're famous!"

"Is that a book you have? I love books."

"Where did that quill come from? Can I buy it from you?"

"James, James! Where are you going? Can I follow you?"

"Do you like licorice? I love licorice! You don't? Well neither do I."

And a substantially creeped and frazzled James threw his teaspoon at Marcus. "I'M TRYING TO EAT BREAKFAST SO GO. AWAY."

Which shut Marcus up for a good thirty seconds. After which he prodded James' arm with his bony index finger. "James, which class-"

And James completely lost it.

Now being eleven and still prone to surges of accidental magic,it generally was a bad idea to provoke James quite as much as he was provoked.

Every jug of milk in the Great Hall (which is many jugs) flew up and upturned itself upon Marcus' head. Actually, one lodged itself on Marcus' head which was quite fortunate, since there were hosts of cutlery trying to cause him some serious brain damage. And his chair overturned.

"DETENTION, MISTER POTTER!" McGonagall hollered across the hall as Flitwick escorted Marcus to the hospital wing. Some of the other kids looked on in awe. The way James saw it, that detention was completely unfair because he couldn't control himself at all, but maybe it was a good place to start building up his brand new reputation as the most badass Ravenclaw in history.

* * *

James and Louis had their first class together. It was Transfiguration and James really wasn't looking forward to it, after the detention he had been dealt. He reached class on time and explained to Louis that it actually was all an accident and he hadn't actually trained himself in a advanced magic without telling him or Fred.

McGonagall walked into the classroom in her usual brisk way, and regarded James and Louis with her first glance.

"Potter, Weasley, split. Now."

And James ended up with ordinary nice Christopher Bell, and Louis with Alexander, who had been seated next to Christopher.

"You know, Marcus is bunking next to you?" Christopher pointed out to James. James, who slept past midnight and got up early to write his letter had not. Marcus had drawn the curtain around his bed.

"I didn't." James said in horror.

Christopher nodded knowingly. "I thought not. We didn't see much of you until breakfast today."

James didn't offer any explanation. Instead, he was plotting to traumatise Marcus enough to make him decide to leave the school - or demand for a resorting in the least.

"I could swap with you?" Christopher offered, seeing the worrisome hue James' face was taking.

James' jaw dropped. "REALLY? Next to HIM? Oh, my. You are the bravest person I have ever met. You are my new best friend Christopher."

"Shhhhh!" Christopher hissed hurriedly, but McGonagall had paused to glare at them already.

"Mister Potter," McGonagall began. James supressed the urge to groan very loudly. He had the best luck.

"Since you appear to already understand this branch of magic, I doubt you have any objections to performing a basic Transfiguration spell?"

James hadn't learnt yet damnit, he didn't own a wand until two weeks ago. He stood in silence, angry and humiliated and ashamed all at once.

"Sit down, Mister Potter," McGonagall sighed tiredly.

Louis frowned. "That was harsh," he remarked to Alexander.

"He's a proper badass now though," Alexander said in awe. Louis rolled his eyes.

"By accident."

Alexander nodded. "Still badass. Are you a badass too?"

Louis thought for a moment. "No, not really, I don't think so," he said finally. Alexander looked slightly disappointed.

"Do you think your cousin would want to play badass pranks with me?" He asked hopefully.

Louis sighed. "Yeah." And he wondered why all eleven year olds seemed so childish.

"You're handwriting isn't as neat as I thought it'd be," Alexander says after several seconds of silence. It isn't as neat as Louis would have liked either. It's half cursive and half a scrawl because he never managed to write neatly for more than two lines without feeling tired.

"It's a bit of a weak spot for me," Louis admits. "I can't write. Let's not talk about it."

Alexander frowns. "Now what?"

"Shouldn't we listen?" Louis says hopefully. He certainly doesn't notice when Alexander sighs boredly and calls him a snob under his breath.

* * *

Louis' next class was with Fred. It was Care of Magical Creatures and taught by Hagrid who was a great friend of their family. Louis gave him a big toothbrush for Christmas every year, though he doubted it was actually used.

"Professor McGonagall hates James," Louis said to Fred because Hagrid didn't really seem to mind people talking during his class so much.

Fred looked slightly envious. "What did he do now?"

Louis shrugged. "Nothing exactly. He was stupid enough to attempt to hold a conversation during her class."

Fred was silent for some time. People tended to be silent for some time when talking to Louis, though it wasn't because they were shocked or anything. He just didn't really provide good material for conversations to continue. He never looked very interested either - something to do with blonde hair and grey eyes.

Neither Bill nor Fleur had grey eyes. Nobody really knew precisely where in the family those genes came from. But Louis had Bill's exact narrow eyebrows so there was no disputing his heritage.

Louis, possibly thankfully, did not inherit his either of his parents' skill at being a good long conversation partner, because when he did talk, he never really did so with tact.

Like so.

"I wonder if James is making plenty of new friends," Fred said unhappily, whole Hagrid attempted to demonstrate how a Carnivorous Monster Book of Carnivorous Monsters ought to be fed.

"You're stupid, selfish and jealous," Louis says without thinking.

Fred walks away to stand with one of his dorm mates. Louis sighs. Boys - so utterly pathetic. A girl might have tried to out-bitch him.

This was not a fantastic day for J.F.L., in case you didn't already figure it out for yourself.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it :)**


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